Dental appliance



N.SHEGELGLAS DENTAL APPLIANCE Y Jul 1 1924. 1,499,889

Filed March 5. 1924 awvamtoz;

Patented July 1, 1924.

NAUM SPIEGELGLAS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DENTAL APPLIANCE.

Application filed March 5, 1924. Serial No. 697,032.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NAUM SrIEenLGLAs, a native of Russia (havingdeclared my. intentions of becoming a citizen of the United States), anda resident of the borough of Bronx, county of Bronx, city and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Dental Appliances, ofwhich the following is a specification 'suflicient to enable thoseskilled in the art to which the invention appertains to utilize thesame.

The object of my invention is to afiord a convenient and adequateauxiliary support for the open jaws of a patient undergoing dentaltreatment, while at the same time facilitating operative manipulation bya dental surgeon as and for the purposes and reasons hereinafter fullyset forth,- the invention consisting in the specific construction andarrangement of parts described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I illustrate a preferable construction ofmy auxiliary dental appliance, although I do not limit myself to theidentical configuration of the device and component parts thereof shownherein by way of exemplification, since modifications may be made inminor details and equivalent mechanical expedients resorted to with likeresults, and without departing from the spirit and intent of myinvention in this respect.

With this understanding Fig. 1, is what may be designated as a rearelevation of my jaw supporting dev1ce;

2, is front elevation thereof;

Fig. 3, is a view of the closed side of the device;

Fig. 4:, is a view of the opposite or open side thereof;

Fig. 5, is a central longitudinal section taken upon plane of line 55Fig. 3.

Fig. 6, is a side elevation of the device.

Obviously a dentist treating a patients teeth must naturally work in thepatients open mouth under ordinary conditions heretofore prevalent.While the patient is in the chair with his mouth wide open he isfidgety, highly nervous and uncomfortable, bein compelled to keep hisjaws wide apart without any support, which nervousness is alsocommunicated to the dental surgeon engaged over the patient. Under thesecircumstances an instinctive conflict tongue right and left and thusputting saliva in the prepared cavity, andinconveniencing and disturbingthe operator in his work. Furthermore, while administrating medicine ina prepared cavity, it must be kept free from saliva in order to have thedesired effect. Again, when a temporary or permanent filling is put intothe cavity, it is necessary to have the patients mouthand the cavitydry; or in theevent that the extraction of a tooth or root is de- 7.

sired the patients mouth must be kept open for the administration of theanesthetic injection, and and,in such event it may sometimes happen thatthe patient will, due to sudden pain, snap his jaws, close his mouth,

and break the needle. Applicants device is designed to facilitate, undersuch conditions, dental manipulations in the patients mouth, providing acomfortable support for the patients jaws and keeping the tongue awayfrom contact with the tooth or teeth under treatment, thus enabling thedentist to do his work in the patients mouth 7 smoothly and moreeffectively, and without the vexatious interference of the patientsreactions incidental to the lack of support for his wide open jaws, thuseliminating annoying and nervous irritation, and waste of time for thedentist, and a good deal of unnecessary suffering and restless discom-00 fort for the patient.

To this end my jaw-supporting device consists essentially of a rigidinfundibuliform shield adapted for insertion, to a greater or lessextent, in the mouth of a patient in such manner as to consitutesuitable resting means for the parted jaws while affording practicallyunobstructed access to the parts to be treated by a dentist using theusual implements of his profession.

It is to be understood that my jaw-supporting device is reversible, soas to be available for use in the treatment of either the upper or lowerjaw of a patient.

It consists mainly of a shield S, essentially 1 convergent from front torear, and closed on three sides, and of open structure between the sidewalls, forming an elongate slot or area a, affording accessto the partof the patients mouth to be ,treated,said aper- 110 ture a, being oblongto enclose and expose molars, bicuspids, or other teeth to be treated,if desired.

The shield S, may be ovoidal, round, or multi-angular in cross section;and its opposite edges constitute the sides of the shield medialoperative area a, said edges being preferably reinforced'by a marginalbridge wire 7), extending across the rear end or apex s, of the shieldS, and across the for ward or flared end of the shield S, in the form ofa straddle span 5, to facilitate dental manipulation.

The flared frontal. edges of the shield S, are preferably concavelycurved 0, 0, at the sides to facilitate manipulation of dentalimplements; and the medial part of the shield may be formed externallywith a plurality of ridges 7", 7*, to afford graduated support for theteeth of the patient when necessary or desirable.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. As an article of manufacture, a dental appliance of the characterdesignated, comprising a shield formed with a medial open operative areawith the surrounding walls flared outwardly, for the purpose andsubstantially 1n the manner set forth.

2. As an article of manufacture, a dental appliance of the characterdesignated, com prising a flared shield formed with a medial openoperative area, the sides of which are reinforced by a marginal bridgewire, substantially in the manner and for the pur pose set forth.

3. As an article of manufacture, a dental appliance of the characterdesignated, comprising a flared shield formed with a medial openoperative area, ,and with concavely curved frontal side edges,substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

4. As an article of manufacture, a dental appliance of the characterdesignated, comprising a flared shield formed with a medial openoperative area, and ridged externally, substantially in the manner andfor the pur pose set forth.

NAUM SPIEGELGLAS. Witnesses GEO. WM. MIATT, HYMAN JAFFE.

